I am not one of the veterans like some of the other boardies, but getting sketches at conventions is not difficult (depending on which arist).

At heroes there is a lot of artists considering it is an actual comic convention, so it will be easier.

1) You can try and email the arist now and see if they are taking pre commisions for the show or a waiting list

2) You can walk up to the artist you want at the show and see if he still has open spots left. Just be prepared that some artists list fill up very fast, so have a list of who you want top to bottom

If you wanna get it graded and certified like the ones here on the boards you must have CGC give you a witness when picking up your book from the artist, without a witness present it will not be able to get authenticated.

MedicARMedicARI have searched from the beginning to the end of the internet and have the calluses on my fingers and the bleeding eyes to prove it.

TOTAL NEWBIE

Registered: 08/24/05
Posts: 12850

What a loaded question!

First up, get your blank cover ready to go. I am a huge fan of connecting the cover to the character and the character to the artist, but there are certainly no hard and fast rules. I've even seen DC Characters on Marvel blanks.

Once you have the blank you want, I think everyone here would strongly recommend prepping the book in a window bag. Personally, I like to use a Mylite 2 and a Full Back board. I put the book in and then use masking tape mark the area I want the artist to draw in. I try to make it as big as possible, allowing the artist the greatest possible space to work in.

After you mark the bag, remove the book and put in a scrap backing board so up don't chop up your good one and you don't cut through both sides of the bag. Using an X-Acto knife or a razor blade, carefully cut along the inner edge of the tape. The tape will serve two purposes, it will be a guide for the artist to work within and it will help the bag maintain its integrity.

Before returning your "good" backing board to the bag, put all of your vital information on it. Your name, address, email, mobile phone, and board name. Once this is done, I like to sandwich the blank cover between a cheap backboard and my Full Back, making sure the Full Back is in the back with your information showing through the bag. The cheaper board in the front will protect the book during travel and help to prevent it from catching on the window created on the front of the bag.

Now go to the show and find your artist! The key here is to get to the floor and your artist of choice as early as possible. The sketch lists fill up incredibly quickly and you don't want to just miss out because you were a little late. Negotiate your price and ensure that the artist is willing to work on a blank cover, also let them know that you intend to have the book CGC'd. After that, go take in the rest of the show.

Give the artist time to complete anyone's requests that may have been ahead of you on the list. Please don't hound the artist! remember that they are there to make money and to meet fans and push their latest projects. They have many things to do during the day and your sketch is just one part of their agenda.

When the sketch is complete or near complete, go to the CGC booth and request a Witness to come with you to pick up the sketch. This is critical! You must have a Witness with you when you pick up the book or it will NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR CGC SS! So, get the Witness and go pick up the book. So you know, the Witness will take the book and the two of you can return to the CGC booth to fill out the paperwork for submission if have not previously done so.

All of this is assuming you want to have the book submitted to CGC for grading and encapsulation. If this is not the case, you can leave out the parts involving the Witness and paperwork and such.

Good luck and come back to show us what you come away with!

_________________________"I hate most of humanity. Though I might be very fond of particular individuals, humanity in general fills me with contempt and despair...."......-R. Crumb

MedicARMedicARI have searched from the beginning to the end of the internet and have the calluses on my fingers and the bleeding eyes to prove it.

TOTAL NEWBIE

Registered: 08/24/05
Posts: 12850

I don't want to take away from the effort of anyone that pulls these opps together because there is a ton of behind the scenes work to do. That being said, the board sketch opps are fun, but I would take a face to face meeting any day of the week. I rarely get to make it to shows, so the meeting is half the fun!

_________________________"I hate most of humanity. Though I might be very fond of particular individuals, humanity in general fills me with contempt and despair...."......-R. Crumb

MedicARMedicARI have searched from the beginning to the end of the internet and have the calluses on my fingers and the bleeding eyes to prove it.

TOTAL NEWBIE

Registered: 08/24/05
Posts: 12850

It varies from artist to artist and sometimes even show to show. Some will whip out a really quick sketch, usually 30 seconds or less, for free. These will be really simple drawings. Many of the "grunts" who work regularly on books range anywhere from $10-$100. Calling them "grunts" isn't intended as an insult. I'm a grunt, I've got no problem with it. The "stars" generally start at $100. Neal Adams gets $500 for a head sketch.

Who do you have in mind?

_________________________"I hate most of humanity. Though I might be very fond of particular individuals, humanity in general fills me with contempt and despair...."......-R. Crumb